Outside of the wrap he wore on his right knee, there was little indication that Stephen Curry had missed 27 straight games as he made his return Sunday night at Chase Center. The Warriors star thrilled the home crowd with 29 points in 26 minutes, nailing outrageous three-pointers, showing a burst on drives to the basket and nearly leading the team to a comeback victory vs. Houston, writes Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area.
“You can hear it with the crowd, and there’s a different energy in the building, and there’s a different confidence with our team,” coach Steve Kerr said. “He just infuses the whole team with confidence. Being able to play off him makes the game much easier for everyone else. There is a momentum, a confidence. He’s Steph Curry for a reason.”
Curry came off the bench for the first time since the 2011/12 season as Kerr eased him back into action. His first appearance came with 4:54 left in the first quarter, and fans responded with a 45-second ovation. There were a few signs of rust before he got on the board with a three-pointer from the left wing with 34.1 seconds remaining in the quarter.
“The first (quarter) was tough, the second one was great,” Curry said. “Second quarter, once I got my feet underneath me and obviously momentum carried all the work you put in, the rehab to get through even 26 minutes at that level, I was very grateful.”
From that point on, it was vintage Curry. He hit 5-of-10 shots from behind the arc and was 11-of-21 overall, along with four assists. The Rockets frequently threw double teams at him, but Curry was able to keep moving and create open looks. He hit a string of big shots in the fourth quarter, even breaking out his trademark shimmy after being knocked to the ground on an and-one, and nearly won the game with a 30-foot attempt over two defenders at the buzzer.
“There was a lot of nerves all day,” he said. “My family supported me at home, and I was a nervous wreck trying to pass the hours before I got to the arena. But once you get back into your routine, you’ve been doing it for so long, muscle memory takes over. And the adrenaline takes over. I appreciate the fans and the reception, just the buzz that was in the arena, because you know at that certain point you want to be able to tap into that. Very grateful. It was a beautiful day, and now I can kind of settle into how we’re going to finish the year.”
Curry’s return could dramatically change the equation for Golden State heading into the postseason. There were no signs of discomfort from the patellofemoral pain syndrome (runner’s knee) that had sidelined him since January 30, and he and the team remain hopeful that it won’t flare up again. At 36-42, the Warriors are on track to enter the postseason as the No. 10 seed, which means they’ll have to win two play-in games on the road just to get a shot at defending champ Oklahoma City in the playoffs, but Curry’s return gives them reason to believe they’ll be a tough out.
“We have two meaningful games, hopefully down the stretch,” Curry said, referring to the play-in tournament next week. “But this is meaningful basketball in the sense of preparing ourselves for that moment. It’s not like we can just sleepwalk through these last four games and not focus on details that will help us win a do-or-die game and then do it again.”
If the Warriors cough up the 11th pick in the draft for a couple of play-in wins, it would be a huge mistake in my opinion.
Even though I’m an irritating voice in repeating the mantra of “it doesn’t matter where you pick, just draft well in your slot…,” my tune is changing here with Golden State.
Fingers crossed that Portland somehow whoops the behind of the Warriors 2 Wednesdays from now.
They are not beating OKC in the first round. IKC is too deep of a team. I want the warriors to draft a young big man they need.
Pretty fun game last night. Gives tons of hope that Curry is not done yet !!
Dare I say the Warriors should pull a Kawhi Leonard with Steph next season?
Play no more than three times a week with days off here and there and perhaps even have Steph come off the bench to maximize his PT/efficiency.
A huge reason for liking this plan is that it forces the Warriors to put a real team on the floor for the starting 5 and they’re not relying so much on 39-year-old Steph Curry in next year‘s playoffs…, should they be so fortunate.
Thoughts ?
Hope for what? They would play OKC in the 1st rd. Are they gonna Tonya Harding their top 7 players?
You mean hope for next season? Cause this one is gone
Agreed. Losing to the Rockets at home last night with the roster as it stands going into the playoffs, should clearly be an indication of which direction you go. To most of us here know that direction is to find a way to lose in two Wednesdays.
The decision to allow Curry to return isn’t the same as Giannis in my opinion but I still question both. What’s the payoff? So what they make the play-in, maybe? Is they’re any reason to think that with our without they’ll make it past the first round? But what if he reinjures himself? Is it worth the risk to put him out there for 28 minutes a game? How many times did we wince reach time he left his feet and fell? They’re was one play where it look like he landed awkwardly and fell on his back. In practice you’re not jumping and landing among a bunch of bodies bumping you mid air or possibly landing on someone’s foot. It’s stupid.